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Constitutional

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Immigration

Alfonso Jose Cardenas Perez v. Warden of the California City Detention Center — District court grants habeas petition and orders immediate release of Venezuelan parolee detained by ICE without notice or hearing

/ November 3, 2026

The court granted a § 2241 habeas petition and ordered the immediate release of a Venezuelan national paroled into the United States, holding that his detention by ICE without notice or a pre-deprivation hearing violated due process because he had acquired a liberty interest in his continued release

California Administrative Law Constitutional Immigration

Jose Antonio Alvarez-Alas v. David Venturella, et al. — District court grants habeas petition and orders immediate release where ICE failed to provide initial custody determination under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a)

/ November 3, 2026

The court granted the petitioner’s habeas corpus petition and motion for a temporary restraining order, ordering his immediate release because immigration authorities failed to conduct an initial custody determination as required by 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) and 8 C.F.R. § 236.1(c)(8), rendering his

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Immigration

Papassara Suksatan (A-009-170-619) v. Warden, California City Detention Center, et al. — Magistrate judge recommends dismissal of § 2241 habeas petition as moot after petitioner’s voluntary departure from the United States

/ November 3, 2026

The magistrate judge recommends dismissing the habeas petition as moot because the petitioner was removed from the United States on September 22, 2026, pursuant to a voluntary departure request, ending her ICE custody and eliminating any live controversy.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Immigration

Moises Ambrocio P.B. v. Warden, California City Detention Center — District court adopts magistrate’s findings and orders immediate release of immigration detainee with injunction against re-detention without due process

/ November 3, 2026

The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s findings and recommendations in full, granted the habeas petition on claim one, ordered immediate release of the petitioner, and enjoined re-detention under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) without seven days’ notice and a pre-deprivation hearing befor

California Administrative Law Constitutional Immigration

Jonathan Rubelsi B.V. v. Warden of the California Detention Center — District court grants habeas petition and orders immediate release of immigration detainee held without required bond hearing

/ November 3, 2026

The court adopted in part a magistrate judge’s findings, granted the habeas petition on INA and due process grounds, and ordered the immediate release of a detainee who had been held for months without a custody determination hearing required by 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a).

California Civil Procedure Constitutional

Roderick Nathaniel Washington, formerly known as E-87177 v. California Department of Correction, et al. — Magistrate judge recommends denying renewed fee-waiver applications under the three-strikes rule

/ November 3, 2026

Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone recommends denying Washington’s two renewed applications to proceed in forma pauperis because prior dismissals established three strikes and the complaint did not show imminent danger of serious physical injury when this action was filed.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional

Devin Trevone Lamar, III v. Lewis, et al. — Magistrate judge affirms extension for pro se litigant to oppose summary judgment, finding excusable neglect based on emergency relocation and lack of access to printing equipment

/ November 3, 2026

The magistrate judge affirmed an order granting a pro se litigant an extension to oppose a summary judgment motion, finding excusable neglect under Rule 6(b)(1) based on the plaintiff’s emergency relocation and temporary lack of printing equipment.

California Administrative Law Constitutional Immigration

Nurbek Okeshov v. Ernesto Santacruz Jr., et al. — District court grants habeas petition and orders immediate release of asylum applicant detained without pre-deprivation hearing

/ November 3, 2026

The court granted a § 2241 habeas petition and ordered the immediate release of a Kyrgyzstan national who had lived in the United States for over six years with a pending asylum application and employment authorization, holding that his detention by ICE at a scheduled USCIS interview without prior n

California Administrative Law Constitutional Immigration

Grebil Avila Medina v. Todd Blanche, et al. — Federal court orders immediate release after finding bond-hearing due process violations and an unsupported flight-risk determination

/ November 3, 2026

Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson granted Grebil Avila Medina’s § 2241 petition and ordered his immediate release after concluding that his bond hearing denied due process and that the immigration judge abused discretion in finding him a flight risk.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Immigration

Manuel Antonio Pena Estrada v. Markwayne Mullin, et al. — Magistrate judge grants unopposed habeas petition, orders immediate release and injunction against re-detention without notice and hearing

/ November 3, 2026

The court granted an unopposed petition for writ of habeas corpus, ordering the petitioner’s release within 24 hours and enjoining re-detention without individualized pre-deprivation notice and a hearing before a neutral arbiter.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Immigration

Jose Victor Estrada-Cruz v. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, et al. — Magistrate Judge grants habeas petition and orders immediate release of immigration detainee held over a year with no significant likelihood of removal

/ November 3, 2026

The court grants a pro se § 2241 petition, finding that a noncitizen detained for over a year after a final removal order must be released because a prior withholding of removal order makes removal to Mexico unlikely and the government offered no evidence to rebut the showing.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Immigration

Enrique Cristobal Meneses v. Ernesto Santacruz, Jr., et al. — District court grants habeas petition in part, restores pre-removal release conditions, denies permanent injunction against re-detention and denies third-country removal claim without prejudice

/ November 3, 2026

The district court adopted the magistrate judge’s findings and conclusions but declined to issue a permanent injunction barring re-detention without a pre-detention hearing, ruling that the prospect of unlawful re-detention was too speculative; it granted the petition in part by ordering resto

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Litigation

Brady Laplante v. First Premier Home Warranty Corp. — Court orders plaintiff to show cause why default judgment motion should not be denied because anti-spam claim is preempted by CAN-SPAM Act and trap-and-trace claim lacks Article III standing

/ November 3, 2026

The court orders plaintiff to show cause within 14 days why his motion for default judgment should not be denied, finding that his California Anti-Spam Law claim is preempted by the federal CAN-SPAM Act because the email was not materially deceptive, and his Trap and Trace Law claim fails for lack o

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Litigation

Anaya v. County of Napa et al. — Magistrate Judge Hixson grants motion to dismiss Section 1983 claims against Court Executive Officer Fleshman on Eleventh Amendment immunity grounds and dismisses ADA claims for failure to plead with sufficient specificity under Rule 8, while granting leave to amend

/ November 3, 2026

The court dismissed Section 1983 claims against the Superior Court Executive Officer on Eleventh Amendment grounds because the Superior Court is an arm of the state and the plaintiff did not sue the defendant in his individual capacity or seek injunctive relief against him, and dismissed ADA claims

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Personal Injury & Tort

Noemi Mendoza, et al. v. Kelly Santoro, et al., No. 5:25-cv-10868-NW (N.D. Cal. Nov. 3, 2026) — Court grants in part and denies in part motion to dismiss: §1983 claim against Warden Santoro and supervisory Doe defendants survives; §1983 claim against Sergeant Lopez Vargas dismissed with leave to amend; negligence claim against Santoro and supervisory Does survives; Government Claims Act satisfied; claims against medical/emergency Doe defendants dismissed with leave to amend

/ November 3, 2026

The court held that plaintiffs adequately alleged causation and deliberate indifference by Warden Santoro and supervisory Doe defendants based on documented patterns of violence and failure to follow mandatory CDCR policies, but dismissed the §1983 claim against Sergeant Lopez Vargas for insufficien

California Administrative Law Constitutional Immigration

Leonette Alfaro Sevilla v. Christopher J. LaRose, Warden of Otay Mesa Detention Center, et al. — District court grants habeas petition, holding CHNV parolee with theft conviction is detained under discretionary § 1226(a) not mandatory § 1226(c) and orders immediate release subject to parole conditions

/ November 3, 2026

The court granted a § 2241 habeas petition for a Nicaraguan national paroled under the CHNV program who was later convicted of grand theft, ruling she is not subject to mandatory detention under § 1226(c) because she was admitted/paroled and not inadmissible under § 1182(a)(6)(A), (6)(C), or (7), an

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Criminal

Kevin Lewis Hayes v. Kristin Alvarado, et al., No. 5:26-cv-00337-EKL (N.D. Cal. Nov. 3, 2026) — Prisoner’s First Amendment retaliation and due process claims dismissed with prejudice after repeated failure to allege plausible facts

/ November 3, 2026

The court dismissed a pro se prisoner’s § 1983 action with prejudice after multiple opportunities to amend failed to cure deficiencies in his First Amendment retaliation and due process claims against a correctional officer.

California Administrative Law Civil Procedure Constitutional

Anaya v. County of Napa — Court dismisses Anaya’s claims against the county defendants and grants limited leave to amend

/ November 3, 2026

The court dismisses the claims against the County Defendants, finding no Article III standing for injunctive relief and no cognizable claims as pleaded, but allows Anaya to amend the identified deficiencies by December 3, 2026.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Litigation

Barroca v. Hayward Area Recreation and Parks District — Summary judgment granted because the cited cat owner was not similarly situated to the warned dog owner and rational bases supported the different enforcement decisions

/ November 3, 2026

The court granted Ranger Hillary Fitzpatrick summary judgment on the sole remaining Fourteenth Amendment class-of-one claim because material differences separated Barroca from his proposed comparator and several rational bases supported citing him but only warning the dog owner.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Litigation

Saldana v. Borla, et al. — Prisoner’s Eighth Amendment claim for unconstitutionally small cell survives screening; claims against grievance reviewers dismissed

/ November 3, 2026

The court dismissed claims against two defendants who merely reviewed grievances, but allowed an Eighth Amendment inadequate-space claim to proceed against the warden and CDCR secretary, ordering service under CDCR’s e-service program.

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Criminal

Brooks v. People of the State of California, No. 3:26-cv-04801-LJC (N.D. Cal. Nov. 3, 2026) — Magistrate Judge grants IFP and orders petitioner to show cause why pre-conviction habeas petition should not be dismissed for lack of custody and Younger abstention

/ November 3, 2026

The court grants the pro se petitioner’s IFP application but orders her to show cause by November 30, 2026 why her § 2241 petition challenging an ongoing state criminal prosecution should not be dismissed for failure to establish the custody requirement and because Younger abstention and exhau

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Employment

Rupa Marya, M.D. v. Board of Regents of University of California, et al. — Court narrows § 1983 action but allows letter-of-censure claim to proceed

/ November 3, 2026

The court dismissed several claims and requests for relief for lack of standing or redressability and because the Regents are not a § 1983 person, but refused to dismiss the letter-of-censure claim on preclusion or exhaustion grounds.

California Constitutional Criminal

People v. Jimenez — Racial Justice Act Charging Claim Fails Without a Like-for-Like Comparison of Similarly Situated Murder Defendants

/ November 3, 2026

The Sixth District held in a partially published opinion that Racial Justice Act statistics comparing Latinx overrepresentation among life-without-parole prisoners with the general population, rather than with similarly situated murder defendants, did not make a prima facie showing of disparate spec

California Civil Procedure Constitutional Litigation

Zhang v. City of Los Angeles — Ninth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Pro Se Section 1983 Suit as Heck-Barred and for Failing to State a Property Claim

/ November 3, 2026

In an unpublished memorandum, the Ninth Circuit affirmed dismissal of a pro se § 1983 suit, holding the criminal-proceedings claims Heck-barred and the property-loss claims insufficiently pleaded given available state post-deprivation remedies.